Can end feeding mechanism



Aug. 23, 1949. w. H. MORGAN 2,479,955

CAN END FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25, 1945 v 3 Sheets-Sheet l A 1949- w. H. MORGAN- CAN END FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 23, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 23, 1949. w. H. MORGAN CAN END FEEDING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 23, 1945 %/////am H Mayan W hawk, wmwxbwf V wow 24 1 Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN END FEEDENG MECHANISM Application February 23, 1945, Serial No. 579,389

2 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a can end feeding mechanism for a seaming machine, and more particularly to a machine for double seaming the ends to the can bodies.

It is a common expedient to provide a machine for double seaming ends to can bodies with a stack holder in which the ends are stacked one on another. The ends are removed from the bottom of the stack holder one at a time and in timing with the passing of can bodies into the double seaming machine. These machines are usually equipped with a mechanism whereby when the ends in the stack holder give out the machines stop and also with means whereby when there are no can bodies fed into the machine to have ends attached thereto, then the release of an end from the stack holder is prevented. A machine of this type is illustrated in the patent granted to A. L. Kronquest April 1, 1930, No. 1,752,912.

The can ends are placed in the stack holder at the upper end thereof by an operator. The capacity of the stack holder is such that in these high speed machines an operator must give very close attention in order to keep the stack holder supplied with can ends. If the ends in a stack holder give out, the machine is stopped and when the machine is used in a line which makes the can bodies and flanges them preparatory to the seaming of an end thereto, the whole line must be stopped and thus greatly handicaps production.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical means for supplying can ends to the stack holder so as to maintain a constant supply therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical means of the above type wherein the can end feeding means for supplying the stack holder, feeds the ends one at a time into the stack holder.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a can end feeding mechanism for supplying can ends to the stack holder wherein the speed of the can end feeding means is controlled by the height of the stack in the stack holder of the seaming machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a feeding means for feeding can ends one at a time into the stack holder of a seaming machine, which feeding means is capable of ready adjustment for feeding ends of diiferent diameters.

These and other objects win in part be obvious 2 and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing very diagrammatically a portion of a can end seaming mechanism, the stack holder therefor and the improved means for supplying the stack holder with can ends.

Figure 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in section with parts broken away on a line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section on a line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view of the can end feeding mechanism similar to Figure 2, but showing the devices as adjusted and reassembled for feeding can ends of a larger diameter.

Figure '7 is a view in plan similar to Figure 4 showing one of the can end feed screws adjusted for feeding can ends of a larger diameter.

Figure 8 is a side view showing a portion of one of the feed screws and the manner of stripping the can ends from the supply stack holder preparatory to the feeding of the ends to the stack holder of the seaming machine.

Figure 9 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation showing the clutch shifting lever for connecting the train of mechanism operatin the feed screws to the motor for operating the same.

The double seaming machine for joining the can ends to the can bodies is illustrated in part Very diagrammatically at Ill. The can bodies II are fed along a supporting table 12 into the machine one at a time. These can bodies are fed into the machine in spaced relation. In the machine of the patent to Kronquest supra, there are a plurality of seaming units which receive the can bodies and can ends and join the ends to the can bodies by a seaming operation usually referred to as a double seam. The ends are fed from the bottom end of a stack holder [3 by suitable devices which release the ends one at a time and in proper timing with the delivery of the can bodies to the seaming units. It is very common in the art to provide the seaming ma chine with a means whereby when the ends in the stack holder give out, the machine is stopped, and also to provide a means whereby if there is no can body to which an end can be attached, then the ends are not released from the stack. All of these features are well known in the art the housing I I.

and further description thereof will not be necessary. The present invention has to do with the supplying of can ends to the stack holder I3 of the seaming machine.

As shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the can ends to be supplied to the seaming machine are placed in a supply stack holder I4. Preferably this stack holder is located on the floor above where the seaming machine is operated. The stack holder I4 is mounted on a supporting table I5. The table has an opening I 6 therethrough in which opening is mounted a housing H, which supports the stack holder I4. The stack holder is in the form of spaced rods with a ring plate at the upper end thereof. This is the usual type of stack holder. The housing I! is made in two sections. The stack holder is mounted on the upper section. There is an opening I8 through the lower section I9 of the housing and three feed screws indicated at 20, 2| and 22 extends up through the opening and are journaled in bearings on the under side of the upper section of One of these bearings is indicated at 23. Each feed screw is provided with a gear 24 and associated with each gear 24 is a ear 25 mounted on a stud 26 attached to the lower housing member.

A ring'gear 21 is mounted in the housing and the gear teeth on the inner face of this gear ring mesh with the three gears 25.

a gear wheel 28 carried by a shaft 29 mounted inia bearing in the under section I9 of the housing. At the lower end of the shaft 29 is a'bevel gear 30 Which meshes with the bevel gear 3| on a shaft 32. This shaft carries abelt Wheel 33 overwhich a belt 34 runs. 7 This belt 34 engages a belt wheel on a speed changing mechanism 35 whichis of any suitable design. The speed changing mechanism is driven by a belt 36 running over a belt wheel 39 on the shaft of the motor 31. "The motor shaft is connected to the belt wheel through a suitable clutch mechanism controlled manually by the clutch lever 38.

Through the train of mechanism just described,

"the motor 31 rotates the feed screws 20, 2| and 22. Mounted at the upper end of the stack holder I3 is a supporting plate 40. This supporting plate 4!! is connected to the upper end of the stack holder I3 and it is further supported by .rods 4| connected to the floor 42 of the upper .room in which the stack holder I4 is located.

The lower end of the feed screws are mounted ;in bearings carried by brackets 43 which are pivotally mounted on the supporting plate 40.

;vided with an opening 46 which is in alignment with the rods of the stack holder I4 so that the can ends placed in the stack holder I4 will pass by gravity through this opening 46 and also througha guide sleeve 41 and the lower end of the stacked can ends rest on the feed screws 20,

2I and 22. -The threads on the feed screws will strip the ends one at a time from this upper stack holder and will carry them positively downward to the stack holder I3 and deliver the can ends one at a time to the stack holder I 3. The'supporting plate is provided with a sleeve 48 which guides the can ends released by the feed screws into the stack holder I3.

The'speed of rotation of the feed screws can The gear teeth onthe outer face of the ring 21 are engaged by be adjusted through the speed changing mechanism 35. These feed screws are so timed, relative to the speed of the can end seaming machine, that the stack holder I3 is preferably supplied with can ends up to a height indicated by the line (1-0:. The stack holder I4 which supplies the can ends to the feed screws may be made of considerably greater capacity than the stack holder I3. The operators sole attention is given to the maintaining of this stack holder I4 well filled with can ends. The operation of feeding the ends to the stack holder I3 and from the stack holder l3 into the seaming machine is fully automatic.

It sometimes happens that the operator supplying ends for several seaming machines will permit the ends to give out in the stack holder I4, thus causing what might be called a slack feed of can ends by the feed screws. Under such conditions, the upper ends of the stacked ends in'the stack holder I3 will drop, say to the line b'b. If this slack in the feed of the ends continues, then the ends will not be properly supplied to the seaming machine and the line will be stopped. In order to prevent this undesirable stopping of the seaming machine through a slack feed of ends to the stack holder I3, a control means is provided for increasing the speed of the feed screws so as to supply ends to take up the slackness in the feed. This control means includes an arm 49. This arm is pivoted at 50 and is spring pressed against the can ends in the stack holder. When the ends drop to the line bb, the arm will swing inward and this will close a switch in the switch box 5|, which switch closes a circuit 52 and this operates through a solenoid 53 to shift the speed change mechanism so as to increase the speed of rotation of the feed screws feeding the can ends. When the slack in the feed is taken up and the stack again returns to the line aa, the arm will be forced to the right and the circuit broken so that the speed changing mechanism will drop back to normal operating speed.

When it is desired to adjust the can end feeding mechanism for ends of a diiferent diameter, the bolts 44 are released and the brackets 43 swung from the position shown in Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure '7. Bearings at the upper ends of the feed screws must also be shifted. This is accomplished by removing the upper section of the housing I! and replacing the same with a section wherein the bearings are properly spaced and wherein the stack holder is of proper dimensions for receiving ends of a larger diameter. The sleeve 41 will of course also have to be changed which can be readily done as it is attached to the upper section. The operating train of mechanism does not need any changes whatever when the feed screws are shifted from one position to another for adapting the end feeding mechanism for feeding ends of difierent diameters.-

The motor for operating the seaming machine is indicated diagrammatically at 54 in Figure 1 of the drawings. The motor 31 and the motor 54 are both connected to the same circuit 55 and are controlled by a common switch 56. The motor B l is connected to the operating means of the seaming machine through a suitable clutch mechanism (not shown) which is controlled by a clutch shifting lever 51. The clutch shifting lever 38 extends downwardly and is provided at its lower end with a forked section 58 which is pivoted at 59 to the main section of the clutch shifting lever 38. The

outer end of the clutch shifting lever 51 extends between the forks of the section 58.

When it is desired to start the operation of the seaming machine, the switch 55 is closed so that current is fed to the motor 54 and it is at the same time fed to the motor 31 so that both motors are put into operation. It is assumed that at the starting of the motors the clutch shifting levers are positioned so that neither the seaming machine nor the feed screws are connected to their respective motors. The operator, by grasping the handle 69 of the clutch shifting lever 38, can throw the clutch so as to connect the motor 31 to the belt wheel 39 and thus the feed screws are connected up to the motor for operation. This same movement of the clutch lever 38 will shift the clutch lever 51 by reason of the fact that the end of the lever extends between the forks 58. Thus both the seaming mechanism and the feed screws are simultaneously connected up to their respective motors.

There are times when it is desirable to operate the feed screws before starting up the seaming machine, as for example as follows:

At the beginning of a day or of a run, and particularly where the machine has been adjusted for a different size can and can ends, the stack holder [3 may be without can ends, and it is desirable to fill this stack holder at least up to the line bb or the line a--a before the seaming machine is set in operation. This may be accomplished by the operator grasping the handle 69 and turning the forked section about the pivot 59 so as to remove the connection between the forked section of the clutch shifting lever 38 and the clutch shifting lever 51 of the seaming machine. This position of the handle where it is disconnected from the clutch lever 51 is indicated in broken lines in Figure 1. When in this position, the clutch shifting lever 38 can be shifted to connect the feed screws to the motor 31 without starting the seaming mechanism. When the stack has been replenished in the manner described, the clutch lever 38 is shifted back to a position for disconnecting the clutch from the feed screws so that it can be again turned into the full-line position and connected up to the clutch shifting lever '57. It is noted that the clutch shifting lever 38 is supported on a pivot shaft 6| carried by a bracket 62 depending from the floor 42.

It is obvious that many changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

A can end feeding mechanism for seaming machines comprising a stack holder associated with the seaming machine in which the can ends are stacked for delivery thereto, a second stack holder associated with said first-named stack holder, feed screws for delivering can ends one at a time from the second stack holder onto the stack in the first stack holder for maintaining a supply of can ends therein, a motor, a variable speed mechanism between the motor and the feed screws of the second stack holder, and means controlled by the staoked ends in the first-named stack holder for varying said speed-changing means so as to maintain the stacked ends in said first-named holder at a predetermined level.

2. A can end feeding mechanism for seaming machines comprising a holder associated with the seaming machine in which the can ends are stacked for delivery thereto, feed screws arranged above said can end holder and positioned so as to feed can ends one at a time into the upper end of said holder, a separate can end stack holder disposed at the upper ends of said feed screws for feeding can ends to the feed screws, and means controlled by the stacked ends in the holder associated with the seaming machine for varying the speed of the screws so as to maintain the stacked ends in said holder at a predetermined level.

WILLIAM H. MORGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 931,003 Warme Aug. 10, 1909 1,320,292 Taliaferro Oct. 28, 1919 1,342,189 Stowe June 1, 1920 1,475,469 Bach Nov. 27, 1923 1,610,862 Kronquest Dec. 14, 1926 1,739,153 Laxo et al Dec. 10, 1929 1,784,131 Cabot Dec. 9, 1930 1,784,358 Jones Dec. 9, 1930 2,061,589 Philp Nov. 24, 1936 2,184,029 Wicklund Dec. 19, 1939 

